Elegant Universe and Branes

[alt_f13]

I saw the Nova on "The Elegant Universe" ( http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/program.html )and I got a couple questions on Branes.

 

They say collisions between branes may have caused the big bang, 1) but how did they cause the big bang, 2) did the branes bounce off of each other or could they have passed through each other 3) and what would happen with continuous contact between branes?

 

Also, it is very chaotic at the quantum level. Could this be the whole cause of the existance of everything? I mean, could everything we see be a biproduct of waves caused by the brane collisions and small pieces of matter/energy only be ripples?

 

That would make sense to me seeing as we can only travel along the waves in space/time, much like tiny ripples in an ocean.

 

!! Then gravity could be the cumulation of the amplitudes of the waves of matter !! Kindof like a low frequency wave, where the effects are less apparent compared to electro-magnetism.

 

No matter where my brain goes, I always come to the conclusion that time is caused by flux. Time is chaotic at the quantum level is it not? So are ripples in spacetime.

 

The show also mentions how the small curled up dimensions occupy each of the "points in space." And he did say it as if there was a certain number of points in space. What is that about? There may be points in time as well then; I know this has been discussed before and the fact that there is a definite "point in time" intrigues me. It is strange to think that spacetime has a definate resolution.

[alt_f13]

No thoughts?

[blike]

I'm gonnna have to read up on that part in the book. If you enjoyed the show, you should seriously check out hte book. Its a great investment and covers SR, GR, QM, superstring theory, etc in a very readable and enjoyable manner.

[aman]

When I watched it I jumped to the assumption that the branes would collapse on contact, combine, and then expand but that was not what they portrayed. I think their presentation leaves the authors very unsatisfied also but they step back and say it's not perfect at all but it's an introduction. Just my viewpoint.

just aman

[alt_f13]

It was very enjoyable though, and invokes much interest.

 

I'm getting the book as soon as I can find and pay for it; in hardcover of course.

 

I am most interested in the part about quantum level physics concerning time. You read so much about particles jumping the time barrier and moving in and out of our measurable time/space.